Nikolaus Surprises
by mucwriter
Summary: It's Nikolaus day in Aigen - and a surprise guest is not the only one who brings unexpected things for everyone.


_So – for the sake of this story, the timeline is more along the lines of the real von Trapp family. The Anschluss didn't happen during their honeymoon, and they have some years left in their villa in Aigen before they must flee Austria._

Winter had come early his year. Since the beginning of November, the weather was bitterly cold and unpleasant. Either there was a sharp wind or a dense fog that would last almost until noon. Being outside was no fun – and Maria von Trapp sometimes pitied her children because they had to be out in this weather to go to school. They had compromised though: While the children would normally walk to and from school, they now only walked home. In the mornings, either Franz or the Captain would drive the brood to the two different schools they attended.

More often than not, Georg would then slip back into the master bedroom to enjoy some quiet time with his wife of a few months. The couple made a point of having breakfast with the children every morning. But after they had all left for school, she would return to their sanctuary. Either to sleep some more, as some of their nights were long and exhausting – but very pleasurable indeed, she thought with a wide grin and a blush. Or the new Baroness would read a few more chapters of whatever work of literature she was currently enjoying.

Sometimes she would draw a hot bath in the huge bathtub that stood in the middle of their luxurious bathroom and enjoy the time she had for pampering herself. And sometimes she would sit by the large window that faced the lake, doing some needlework. Or nothing at all, while her mind was busy contemplating what had happened to her in the last half year.

A cold spell had started at the beginning of December, with temperatures that were well below average. On this sixth day of the month Georg had taken it upon himself to drive their children in the early morning. He made his way quickly back into the house, hoping to find his wife in their suite and spend some quality time with her.

Luck seemed to be on his side, as he found her right away, sitting on the divan in front of the fireplace with a cup of tea in her hands, buried under a warm woolen blanket. She smiled at him, totally relaxed and at ease. "Hello, darling", she said. "Come, sit with me and warm up. You must be freezing."

These were the moments that Georg loved the most in this new marriage of his. The simple joys of just being together, sharing a thought or a cup of tea. Maria seemed to always know what he needed, sometimes even before he knew it himself. They had slipped into sharing their lives almost effortlessly, and Georg was convinced that their long honeymoon without any interruptions or obligations was a big factor in that. How he loved to spoil her – but not with the expensive things that other women had expected from him.

In Paris, he had spoilt her with breakfast in bed, something she never had in her entire life. He had spoilt her with evenings spent in the famous opera house of the French capital. He went to religious services with her in both, Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur. And he took the time to teach her whatever she asked of him. They had all the time in the world to enjoy each other. And so they did. They had no schedules and no responsibilities, no children to care for and no house to look after.

It wasn't _things_ Maria enjoyed, anyway. She had lived without material possessions most of her life. It was the time and effort that Georg took to appreciate her, to show her how much he loved her. And that commitment made Maria more secure in her role as Baroness by his side. She knew she could rely on him completely, and he would always take her seriously.

Maria loved her Captain with a depth that she never thought possible. To share her life with a man had never been in her wildest dreams. But now she felt so totally at home with him. Never did she have the feeling that Georg took her for granted or that he looked down upon her. They were equals, and they were each other's strengths.

Georg had taken off his clothing, but he didn't put anything on before joining Maria under her blanket. "What are you doing?" she asked, laughing at his antics. "Don't you know, my Maria, that the most effective way to get warm is skin-on-skin contact?" He grinned cheekily at her and embraced her tightly, but with very cold hands. Maria shrieked at the unexpected contact and looked at him with a pretended wide-eyed innocence. "Where did you learn that, Captain?" she asked, rearranging herself and the blanket around him.

She was wearing a long-sleeved nightgown and nothing else – but that gown didn't have much resemblance to the first nightgown he'd ever seen her in. This one had a scooped neck that was very tantalizing as it showed just a little bit of cleavage. And it was made from a very soft material that Maria loved on her skin. Georg had started kissing her neck while his still cold left hand had started wandering along her right thigh. "The navy, of course", came his mumbled reply from somewhere near her collarbones.

Maria had to laugh heartily as she looked at him. "I hope you never had to do something like this with one of your fellow soldiers", she chocked out. Sometimes Georg was surprised by the wicked sense of humor his wife possessed. He pulled one eyebrow up and started sucking on the bit of skin where her shoulder met her neck. Maria felt her husband harden underneath her while he started to strip her of her comfortable gown. Maria sighed and nuzzled into his chest. How she loved to just lie there with him, to feel loved and cherished, to caress and love him. Once Georg had divested her of the silky garment, he caressed every inch of skin that was underneath his fingers and lips.

When he was tenderly stroking her upper chest, Maria took hold of his head and pulled him towards her face. She kissed him passionately, her hands in his thick hair. "Georg, I Iove you so much", she sighed.

"Oh Maria", he said tenderly, slowly sinking into her. They made love under their warm blanket while the thick clouds that brought quite a bit of snow started dissolving outside. Nothing could be heard but their soft moans and Maria's occasional giggle. Afterwards, they lay together, snuggling as close as humanly possible.

"This is my most favorite time of the day", she said.

"Why is that, my love?" he asked.

"Because this is all about us. There are no obligations, no responsibilities, no appointments. We can just be ourselves and it seems we have all the time in the world. This is worth much more to me than any jewelry or expensive thing that you could ever buy for me."

"You are right, my darling. I have never thought about it, but this is a real luxury." As soon as the children returned from school, Maria was always there for them. Helping the older ones with their homework, listening to the adventures of the younger ones and handing out hugs and caresses whenever necessary. More often than not, he would join them in their schoolroom and help out. Sometimes he would go into his study to take care of business. But afternoons and evenings were their time with the children. Their mornings were theirs to enjoy in every way they wanted.

"Is everything all set for tonight?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair where he had laid his head on her stomach.

"Yes, Max is on his way as we speak, but he will arrive before they return from school and will then hide in his room until tonight."

"Good", Maria said. "Although I don't believe that the children won't know who their Nikolaus is when he knocks on the door."

"We'll see", Georg replied. "At least the younger ones will have the illusion – and the benefit of their beloved uncle's stay into the new year."

"Thank goodness Max never gets up before lunch. Imagine what would happen to our mornings", Maria exclaimed.

Georg looked up to her in mock shock. "Is that my shy postulant up there?" he asked with a cheeky grin. Maria raised one eyebrow and had the grace to blush, just a little bit. There wasn't a whole lot that Georg could shock her with these days. Not even his innuendo. She loved her husband, body and soul. And they shared a passionate love. Why should she be ashamed of that?

"Well, the children will be on school holidays from December 20, anyway. At least we should let them sleep in until after Christmas", she said.

"Yes, I believe we should", Georg said, imagining a little bit of time with her in the early morning hours. Before he could start seducing her with his tender kisses across her stomach and breasts once more, Maria tried to get up from the divan. "What's the hurry, darling?" her husband asked.

"Well, I have to take a shower and make myself presentable, do I not, Captain?", she asked.

He looked up and down her beautiful nude body. "I believe you are very presentable, _mein Herz_ ", he said, smiling at her.

"Thank you, but you know that is not what I meant", she said. "The children will be home soon, school is out at noon today because of Nikolaus day. And after lunch we'll take them ice skating, remember?"

How well he remembered. In fact, he had made sure that they all had shiny new ice-skates lined up in the mudroom to take out to the frozen lake. He smiled at here and nodded. "Of course, I remember. They will be so excited to go out on the lake now that the ice is sturdy enough." Louisa and Friedrich had begged him to take them out on the ice, when it was still too thin for them to skate on. "All right", he said. "You go ahead and take your shower, I will stay here under this warm blanket for a little longer."

"Are you sure you won't join me, it might save us some time", Maria said, winking at him.

"No, no, go ahead. I have to shave anyway, that takes a while", he replied. He planned on lying in the glow of the fire for a few minutes, daydreaming about his passionate encounter with his lovely wife just a few minutes ago and perhaps even dozing off for a little while. He had gotten used to this lazy lifestyle which was in fact not lazy at all. He found that his mind was a lot shaper when he was in his office taking care of business and that he was quite focused on whatever he had to get accomplished. In fact, he was more creative and productive than he had been in a long, long time.

However, all this thinking made him restless and he finally got up to join his wife in the bathroom. She was in the shower, humming his most favorite Christmas carol while she was enjoying the hot water on her body. Oh, how he loved his Maria. Instead of shaving, he slowly opened the curtain and joined her under the spray, enveloping her in a big hug. Maria leaned against him and marveled in their closeness once more. She turned in his arms, kissed him deeply and said "I knew you wouldn't be long".

They started washing and caressing each other, and before long, he had her pinned against the tiles and started making love to her again. She was just as insatiable as he, his Maria, Georg thought. In fact, she was particularly craving his body in the last couple of days, he had realized. After sharing their passion once more, they washed and dried each other tenderly, before Georg went to the basin and got his shaving things ready. Maria sat on a small bench close by and watched him handle the sharp blade. Georg said nothing. Even though he couldn't understand the fascination for watching him shave, he just went about his business. Agathe had also liked to watch him getting the stubble off his face.

When he was done, Maria came up behind him, kissed his neck and hugged him tightly from behind. "I love you, my darling. And I'm very, very happy." She meant it, and she just wanted to let him know. Georg knew that she was the most honest person he would ever know in his life, and that's why admissions like these moved him deeply. He tightened his arms around her and then went into the closet with her. "Now, let's go downstairs before we won't leave this room at all today", he said, kissing Maria quickly on the lips.

While he put on a pair of warm loden pants and a cardigan over his white shirt, Maria chose a thick grey loden skirt with a dark green woolen turtleneck. She looked lovely, and Georg told her so. "Thank you, darling", Maria replied.

When they came downstairs, they heard the front door open and the children rushing in from the cold outside. They took off their shoes and outer gear before running over to their parents, giving their mother and their father a hug. "No homework today", Liesl said for all of them.

"Oh, great", her father responded. "Then there won't be anything in the way of your surprise this afternoon."

The children looked at each other, trying to figure out just what that surprise might be. But Georg wasn't answering their pleas to tell them and neither was their new mother. "Children, let's have lunch, shall we?", she asked, taking the two youngest girls by the hand and leading them to the dining room.

They had Schnitzel and potatoes with green salad, a simple yet filling meal – and very delicious, too. After lunch the Captain addressed his children: "I want you to rest now for a little while, and then we'll go to the lake for some ice skating", he said. The children looked at each other and then at their parents. They couldn't believe what they had just heard. "Yes, finally!", Louisa said, running to her father to give him a big hug.

They all retired to the drawing room, the Captain with the newspaper, some of the children had gotten their books from their rooms. Marta and Gretl were drawing pictures while Maria was knitting something very small. "She's making Christmas gifts for the girls' dolls", Georg thought, watching her secretly from behind his paper for a while.

When the sun peaked into the room, they all went to bundle up and ventured out into the chilly afternoon, picking up their new skates on the way. They made short work of putting them on and went on the ice. Maria was a natural, just like with almost everything that required her to move. She looked elegant and lovely and just like she had never done anything else.

Georg looked at her with awe clearly on his face. "What?" Maria said, turning around. "Nothing, darling", he replied, taking hold of her hand and pulling her close to him. "It's just unfair that you seem to excel at everything that you do", he said.

"Oh! Ice-skating? I've been doing it since I can remember. I always got the old skates from my neighbors and spend many hours on a little frozen pond close to my school", she said, kissing him lightly. She took his gloved hand in hers and said lowly, for his ears only: "You don't look so bad either, my Captain."

Before he had time to reply, she had skated toward their smallest daughters and started explaining the basics to them. Both girls had never been on the ice before. She took Gretl's hand and Liesl took Marta's – and after a little tripping and stumbling, the four ladies glided on the ice gracefully. While Friedrich and Louisa raced each other out onto the lake and back, Kurt and Brigitta stayed with their father who helped them patiently to improve their skills on the skates.

After a while, everybody was doing well on the skates and able to slow down and stop, as well. Maria called them all together and introduced a new game. "Friedrich, Louisa, draw and mark a big square in the snow and mark each corner with a symbol." They did as their mother asked, while the others wondered what game they would play. "Alright, now I'll hum a song while we are all skating in our field", Maria explained. "As soon as I stop humming, everyone skates into one corner as quickly as possible."

She pulled a small piece of paper out of her coat pocket and a pencil. She drew each of the symbols on one little sheet of paper. "I will fold these up and put them in your father's jacket pocket. He will the pick on symbol randomly. Whoever is in the corner with the symbol is out. Ok?" Everyone nodded and started skating along the ice while Maria started humming "Macht hoch die Tür, die Tor macht weit", an old song for the beginning of the advent time.

She skated to her husband and put the four little paper sheets inside his jacket pocket. When she made to skate with the children, he grabbed her hand and kissed her, quickly but passionately. "I love you", he whispered to her.

They skated for a while before Maria stopped her song – and all the children as well as her husband dashed for the next corner. When everyone was standing still, Georg pulled one piece of paper from his pocket and showed it to everyone: a star. While Liesl, Georg and Marta, who had all stood in the corner marked with the star, were out, the others started skating again – this time to a song that Georg sang with his beautiful baritone: "O du fröhliche", another of these ancient Christmas songs. And so, they competed for a while before they paired off to just skate a little while by themselves. Maria and Georg took the opportunity to hide in a little bend in the lake where they shared some rather heated kisses and then skated back to their children hand in hand.

The family had a marvelous time out on the ice – but when the sun started to set, they all agreed they should head inside to warm up with some hot chocolate and cookies. They made short work of the skates and went into their cozy parlor, where Georg immediately reached for Maria and sat on the couch with his arm around her shoulders. Maria smiled tenderly at him, giving him a peck on the cheek.

They had agreed very early in their relationship that they would not hide their affection for each other from their children. They touched and embraced, and there was the occasional peck. "How can it be bad if the children see that their parents love each other?", Maria had asked, as the topic came up one day on their honeymoon. And her husband had easily agreed.

Now they were sitting together, each holding a steaming cup of chocolate in their hands – and Marta had snuggled up to her new mother. The girl had a lot of fun on the ice, but now she was cold and exhausted. Maria had her lay down with her head on her lap and a warm blanket around her, and she stroked her long, dark hair lovingly. It didn't take Marta long to drift off to dreamland.

Gretl was likewise snuggled up to her biggest sister and only needed a few minutes until she fell asleep on Liesl's shoulder. Georg smiled at his children and couldn't have been a happier man.

After a while, their drowsing was interrupted by a sharp knock on the front door. Friedrich looked at his father, grinning. Georg reluctantly let go of his wife and went to open the door. There stood Nikolaus, it all his glory as a bishop with a red velvet coat, a long white beard and a large golden book under his arm. Accompanying him was a scruffy looking smaller man with a stick and a gunnysack, Knecht Ruprecht. He was a rather threatening figure compared to the good bishop Nikolaus.

Marta and Gretl rubbed their eyes when they saw who was at the door – the two smallest girls had totally forgotten what day it was with all the excitement on the lake. Now they snuggled up to their mother, while Georg sat with Brigitta und Louisa. They boys sat together with their oldest sister and waited patiently for the man to speak.

"Good evening", he said, looking at each child intensely.

"Good evening", they all chorused back.

"I was sent here to see which child was nice, and which child was naughty during the year", Nikolaus continued. The small girls went closer to their mother, not sure what this was all about. "Now, who have we here?" he asked, opening his golden book. "Friedrich von Trapp! Please step forward." Friedrich looked at his mother and his big sister, not sure why he was the first – but he went to stand before Nikolaus anyway, brave young man that he was. "Friedrich, you are a very good student in all your science classes. That is very good, young man", Nikolaus praised the teenager. "You are also willing to take care of your brother and sisters and help them with their school work." Friedrich nodded, blushing a little at the praise. "However, you tend to become impatient quickly." Friedrich nodded his assent, not daring to contradict the figure in front of him. "And you need to be more attentive in your language classes – you never know when you might need another language in the future."

Friedrich could only nod and said "Yes, I will do my best, I promise" to the man before him. Before he sat back down by his sister, however, Knecht Ruprecht pulled a small package from his sack. "For all your efforts", Nikolaus said, handing him his gift. "Please wait for everyone to receive theirs", he whispered and winked to the young blonde before him.

"Now, Louisa von Trapp", Nikolaus beckoned the girl forward. "Louisa, you are a good student, just like your brother. You are very ambitious in your sports classes and teams, but you are also liked by your peers", Louisa smiled at this assessment, proud of her accomplishments. "Now, that chaos in your part of the room you share with Brigitta, however, has to stop. And the jars must disappear." At this, Louisa had the grace to blush – she still kept some spiders in a jar by her window, much to the dislike of her smaller sister. Anyway, Louisa also got a little gift from Nikolaus, just like all the other children who were called after the two young blondes.

When it was the turn of the littlest girls, Nikolaus called Marta and Gretl to him at the same time. Both girls reached for the hand of the other, and together they stood in front of the imposing man that Maria had told them quite a few stories about. "Gretl and Marta, you are the youngest girls in the family and everyone loves you dearly", Nikolaus said, seeing how nervous the girls were. "You bring a lot of joy to your parents and your siblings, you make them laugh and you ask them very good questions." The sisters looked at each other and smiled up at the man in front of them. "But Gretl, the stomping has got to stop. Don't do that anymore, ok?", he said. "And Marta, be a bit more considerate of the time. You know how to read the clock – make it easier for your family and hurry up a little in the mornings before school and when you go on a playdate with one of your friends, alright?"

But girls nodded shyly and promised to do their best in the future. They also received little packages tied up with string from the imposing figure in front of them and then hurried back to their parents. "Now I wish you all a good time until Christmas", said Nikolaus, turning back towards the door. "Auf Wiedersehen."

Gretl looked at her mother, totally impressed by what she had just witnessed. "Nikolaus really came to visit us, in our house", she whispered, wide-eyed. The older children had a hard time trying not to laugh as they had quickly seen through the performance of their Uncle Max. But they did not want to destroy the illusions of their youngest sisters, so they didn't say anything.

"I think when your father returns you may open your gifts", Maria said, suggesting that they all sing one of the Christmas songs that they had started to learn. They quickly agreed on "O come all, ye faithful", and started singing beautifully. When Georg returned, he didn't come alone. Right behind him was Max Detweiler, to the delight of the children. They all rushed up from where they were seated, hugging their uncle whom they hadn't seen for a while. "Please, children – don't stop singing on my behalf", he said, grinning at Maria and Georg who were once again sitting close together on the "Edelweiss couch", as Maria had dubbed the piece of furniture.

They all sat back down, picking up their gifts once more. "I told them they could open their gifts once you've returned to us, Georg", she said, looking at her husband.

"Yes", the Captain replied, "please do".

And so each child uncovered something unexpected. Liesl found a beautiful golden bracelet with a heart charm that had once belonged to her mother and that she could remember playing with when she was a young child. She had tears in her eyes when she discovered the treasure in a small velvet box – as did Georg.

"Oh Papa", she said, coming over to him and hugging him tightly, at a loss for words.

"I believe you are old enough to wear it now and take good care of it." Even though this was not one of the most expensive pieces of jewelry Agathe had owned, this was the piece she had worn almost every day. And Georg remembered how Liesl always played with the little charm, telling her mother how pretty she thought it was.

Friedrich received a construction set for a submarine and his father's promise that they would start building it together in a few days' time. Louisa, the girl who looked most like her mother, also received a gift in memory of her. Her father had found her mother's beloved tweed riding jacket with the golden horseshoe broach that now fit his second oldest daughter perfectly. Louisa, the reserved one, put it on, went to her father and hugged him tightly. No words were spoken between father and daughter – and none were needed.

When Kurt opened his package, he let out a surprised yell. Inside was the pair of binoculars that he was allowed to borrow from his father once in a while to observe the birds high up in the trees. And now they were his. "Thank you so much, father", he said, running to the large windows trying to make something out in the dark of the winter evening.

Brigitta held a rectangular package on her lap – a book, she thought. But when she opened it, it turned out to be a jewelry case. Her birth mother's jewelry case. And inside was a pair of small earrings in the shape of a star.

"You know the case, Brigitta, don't you?" Georg asked. Brigitta nodded quietly and stroked the surface of the "book" reverently.

"This is for me?" she asked.

"Yes, my darling", Georg said and reached for her small form. "I wanted to give every one of you girls something from your birth mother. You know I have recently gone through her things and I thought you might like what I chose for you." They all nodded their agreement.

Now Marta and Gretls still had to open their packages and did so impatiently. Both found stuffed bears, beautiful bears – one in a warm honey color and the other almost white. "These also belonged to your mother. She already had them when she was a little girl, and they sat on a shelf in the nursery." They were the exact same teddybears apart from the color. Two of Agathe's godparents had apparently had the same taste in toys. "Thank you, father", the girls said in unison, hugging their newest toys to them.

"And children", Georg said, "there's something else that is very important to me: Please, never hesitate to speak with me about your birth mother. I will answer all the questions you might have", he emphasized, taking Marias hand in his and squeezing it. She had encouraged him to share things and memories, instead of burying them in the attic and in the deepest recesses of his heart.

"The children need to know their mother, Georg", she had said one day when they were talking about the past. And she was right, Georg had to admit.

When the children were occupied with their gifts and their Uncle Max, Georg took his wife aside and handed a small package to her. "For you", he said. "Because you have been the nicest and the naughtiest wife I could have wished for. And the most beautiful, of course." Maria looked at him, astonished. This was a celebration for the children. But this was her husband, Georg von Trapp, who never missed a chance to make her feel special.

She opened the little green box that she now knew came from the town's most wonderful jeweler and looked at her husband accusingly. "Georg…" But he just smiled at her and shook his head. Maria had quite a collection of valuable pieces that she only wore when she was Baroness von Trapp, decked out in a glorious evening gown. And she had pearls and traditional Austrian pieces to go with her most beautiful _Dirndls_ , when they went to rather traditional events where Georg had to show his face occasionally. But on a daily basis, she only wore her wedding and engagement rings, and nothing else.

Maria opened the box carefully, having no idea what to expect. Inside was the most beautiful golden locket on a chain, with an artfully engraved Edelweiss. Tears sprung to her eyes when she opened it and saw the tiny pictures of her husband on one side and her children on the other. She kissed her husband before she even embraced him tightly, that kiss a little more heated than any of the children had ever seen before. Georg held her by the waist and pulled her into him, returning her kiss.

When they separated, he said: "I thought you might like a small piece to wear every day, so you always have your family close." She looked deeply into his eyes and nodded. "Thank you, my love", she said. Turning around, she asked him to put it on her which he did with little difficulty.

Before the children could run to their parents and admire their father's gift to their mother, Frau Schmidt called them all to dinner. Maria had talked to cook a few days before and they agreed that they would simply have a hearty stew that Nikolaus' night and some elaborate dessert, Palatschinken. The children loved it, as did Georg and Maria herself. And this way they would make sure that their tired brood wouldn't have to linger at the table.

After their beloved Palatschinken with vanilla ice cream, the family went to the music room, where Georg said down at the piano bench. He started playing some well-known Christmas carols and the family sang along with him.

After Kurt and Gretl had yawned several times, they agreed on one last song and then the children would head off to their beds – fairly early after this exciting day. And thus, the evening ritual began. Both parents made their rounds, helping the younger children with their clothes, hair and toothbrushes. While Maria sang a lullaby to Marta and Gretl, Georg said good night to the boys. They met at the door to Louisa's and Brigitta's room, hugged and kissed the girls good night and did the same to Liesl, who had yet to change into her night clothes.

"Thank you, father, for giving the young girls their first real Nikolaus day", she said when she hugged her father tightly. Georg smiled with tears in his eyes. Before him stood the young woman who his daughter had become. She was beautiful and she was not shy voicing what she had to say.

"Liesl, you know that I deeply regret how I behaved towards you all and I'm still trying to make amends." He squeezed his oldest daughters' shoulders and let go of her, blindly grabbing behind him for Maria's hand. "And you also know that Nikolaus was always important to celebrate, before your mother died."

"Yes, I do, Papa. And I'm very happy that the good times are back in this family", she said, using a word that she hadn't used in a very long time. Georg smiled at her once more and hugged her tightly to him.

"Now you sleep well my Princess", he said, turning around and waiting by the door for his wife.

Maria stroked his arm lightly when he passed her, and then went to embrace her oldest daughter. "Good night. Liesl. Sleep well and as long as you like tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, mother, for bringing my Papa back and for all the happiness you brought back into our lives", the eldest von Trapp daughter said. Maria gave her a peck on the cheek and followed her husband towards the door.

They went into their suite hand in hand, both very emotional and quiet. Georg stoked the fire that was burning in the fireplace, and he had a long look at the family picture that stood on the mantle. "Yes," he thought, "Agathe would have been happy about the way things turned out here."

Maria came up behind him and brought her arms around him, giving him a peck on the jaw. "I'll go and take a quick shower", she told him.

Georg sat down on the divan and thought about the day. It was a beautiful day, really, with all he held dear. He resolved that no matter what the future would bring, he wanted to spend many more days like this one, with the ones he loved. He heard the water being turned off in the bathroom and looked forward to cuddling up to his wife in their comfy bed.

He made his way towards the door when it opened and revealed his wife in a towel. He kissed her left shoulder on his way, making her smile. "I'll be only a few minutes", he said. Maria nodded at him and went to get her nightgown from the foot of the bed. She put it on and opened the drawer of her bedside table. She took out a little package and placed it on Georg's pillow, anticipating his reaction to her news. She could hear her husband whistling under the shower and thought about their day with the children. How they all enjoyed their time together!

When Georg came out of the bathroom, wearing his pajama pants and nothing else, he went straight to Maria, taking her in his arms and holding on to her tightly. "It was a beautiful day today, wasn't it?"

"Yes", his wife said, "I was just reflecting about the day myself", she said, kissing his forehead tenderly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Georg saw something lying on his pillow. "What's that?" he asked his wife. She smiled at him and said "well, you have to open it to know, I guess".

Georg took the package, opened the string and the paper. In it, he found a tiny pair of light yellow booties. Baby booties. He looked at Maria who was observing him closely. "Are we…, are you…?" he stammered, overcome by feelings.

"Yes", Maria said. "We're going to have a baby next summer."

Georg pulled her in his arms and kissed her, passionately. "Wait – this was what you were knitting today, wasn't it?"

Maria nodded, smiling. "Sometimes it's less obvious to do something right under your nose, don't you agree."

"I love you, my Maria", he said. "Are you happy?"

"Yes", she replied, right away. "But I also feel so many other things. I'm excited and thrilled and overjoyed. Our love created this little miracle so quickly. But I'm also afraid, what the future brings and if I will be fit to be a mother to a tiny baby. I have no experience whatsoever what to do with a baby. I am very happy that I am pregnant – but I would have also liked to have you to myself a little while longer. Is that wrong of me?" she asked.

"No", Georg said immediately, "not at all." He drew her into his arms once more and held her tightly. "I promise you something, my darling", he said in a low tone. "I will be with you all the way, and I will make sure that we still have our uninterrupted mornings – even with a small child to care for." And he knew, without a doubt, that his wife would make a great mother.

Maria looked at him. "Well, I think we can only take it one day at a time", she said.

Georg nodded. "Yes, that's the smartest course of action", he said. "Now, let's go to bed, shall we? I'm exhausted."

"Oh, my Captain", Maria said, taking his hand. "Get used to it. I don't know much about babies, but I know that they will chase you around the grounds eventually", she grinned.

Georg settled her and then himself under the covers and took Maria into his arms once again, saying: "I know. And I can't wait."

 _The End for now_

 _xxx_

On December 6, we celebrate Nikolaus over here in the old world. We commemorate the death of Nicholas of Myra. The Greek Christian bishop was best known for miracles and giving gifts secretly. He is the patron saint of little children, sailors, merchants and students (how fitting ;)).

There is a tradition that children polish their shoes and put them in front of their doors the night before Nikolaus day. If they were nice, they find little gifts in them the next morning. The other tradition is a visit from the man himself ;)


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